DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY USS HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49) FPO AP 96665-1737 Ser 016 28 Feb 99 From: Commanding Officer, USS HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49) To: Director of Naval History (OP-09BH), Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC 20374-0571 Subj: COMMAND HISTORY Ref: (a) OPNAVINST 5750.123 Encl: (1) Command Composition and Organization (2) Command History Chronology, 01 January 1998-31 December 1998 f5 (3) Chronology Narrative (4) Current Commanding Officer's Biography (5) Current Commanding Of ficerf s Photograph ( 6) Shipf s Photograph (7) Press Releases for 1997 ( 8) Current Ship' s "Welcome Aboard" Pamphlet 1. Per reference (a), enclosures (1) through (8) are submitted. 'R. W. CLARK
I. COMMAND COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION Mission: The ship's mission is to project power ashore by transporting and launching amphibious craft and vehieles loaded with embarked Marines and their equipment in an amphibious assault. HARPERS FERRY can also render limited docking and repair service to small skips and craft, as well as act as the primary control ship in an amphibious operation. HARPERS FERRY is composed of a seamless organization of Sailors and Marines striving for excellence in all warfare arms. Dedicated to pursuing innovations, HARPERS FERRY views itself as an evolutionary step towards the Navy's development of a "Moral supremacy ship" that combines the capabilities of cruiserldestroyer type ships with an amphibious well deck. HARPERS FERRY has been guided by four command principles: (1) honesty and integrity in every action (2) taking care of the people (3) know your job and equipment (4) strive for improvement. Organizational Structure- USS HARPERS FERRY is attached to COMMANDER, AhQPI3EH XJS GROUP THREE. Name of Commander- CDR Randy W. Clark, USN Permanent Duty Station- Naval Station Sm Diego, CA
n. CHRONOLOGY 01 JANUARY 1998-31 DECEMBER 1998 01 JAN 98-04 JAN 98 HOLIDAY LEAVE 05 JAN 98-30 JAN 98 TSTA I 27 JAN 98-27 JAN 98 RAM MK 49 GMLS TEST 02 FEB 98-27 EEB 98 CSSQT / CSOSS IMPLEMENTATION 02 MAR 98-27 MAR 98 TSTA II 05 MAR 98-05 MAR 98 CMS INSPECTION 06APR98-lOAPR98 LMA 06 APR 98-12 APR 98 EMBARKED COMPHIBRON SEVEN 10 APR 98-13 APR 98 COMNAVBASE DISBURSING AUDIT 22 APR 98-24 APR 98 CSQT / CHAFF FIRING 27APR98-28APR98 30APR98-30APR98 ECERT RAMMISSILETESTFIRING 29 APR 98-01 MAY 98 CSQT 05 MAY 98-07 MAY 98 TSTA III 19MAY98-21MAY98 FEP 01 JUN98-04JUN98 COMPTUEX 98-14 01 JUN 98-12 JUN 98 EMBAaKED CQMDESRON ONE 05 JUN98-08JUN98 PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL 13 JUL 98-12 AUG 98 RlMPAC 98 03 AUG 98-5 AUG 98 IN PORT PEARL HARBOR 13 AUG 98-13 AUG 98 SAN DIEGO FtEET WEEK PASS LN REVIEW
17 AUG 98-03 SEP 98 01 SEP98-01 SEP98 02 SEP 98-02 SEP 98 03 SEP 98-11 SEP 98 14 SEP 98-25 SEP 98 28 SEP 98-28 SEP 98 28 SEP 98-30 SEP 98 30 SEP 98-01 OCT 98 05 OCT 98-15 OCT 98 16 OCT98-16OCT 98 17 OCT 98-17 NOV 98 20 OCT 98-01 NOV 98 05 DEC 98-05 DEC 98 12 DEC 98-14DEC 98 20 DEC 98-20 DEC 98 30 DEC 98-31 DEC 98 3 & 4 SSDG INSPECTION ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SURVEY DENTAL READINESS EVAL,UATION 1 & 2 SSDG INSPECTION FLEET-EX 98 PRE-DEPLOYMENT SEMlNm FOR FAlWLIES SESI FINAL MEDICAL, READINESS ASSESMENT SOC EX / SOC CERT PRE-DEPLOYMENT AMMO ONLOAD POM INDUSTRIAL HYGENE SURVEY DEPLOY WESTPAC 98-99 IN PORT PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII CHOP 7TH FLEET ANCHORED HONG KONG
m. NARRATIVE For the USS HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49)' 1998 was a year of dedicated interdeployment training, assessments and drilling evolutions which culminating in her second Western Pacific / Indian Ocean / Arabian Gulf Deployment in December. As a fruit of her labor, the crew was awarded the cherished Commander Naval Surface Forces Pacific Fleet's Battle Efficiency Award. Mer finishing the Itoby leave cycle on January 6&. 1998, HARPERS FERRY rolled right into the first phase of the Tailored Ship's Training Availability (TSTA I). Members of training team from Afloat Training Group Pacific came onboard &om January 5&-30& to re-establish the crew's level of proficiency and start honing the ship's warfighting capabilities. The crew proved ready to meet the challenge scoring a satisfactory grade on the Training Availability. TSTA II hllowed not too far behind fkom March 2-27. Again, the ship continued to excel receiving an overall satisfactory score for the availability. With the first phase of TSTA complete the ship's Operations department started to shake down the newly installed Ship's Self Defense System (SSDS) and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) systems during the Combined Ship's Qualification TraiIs (CSQT). Communications upgrades were implemented and exercised (Combat Systems System Operating Sequence). The shakedown and training culminated in a direct hit on a single salvo firing of the newly installed MK 49 RAM missile system This success set the tone for the reminder of the year's exercises and accomplishments.
In early April, the Ship's Supply department was put through its paces during the Logistics Management Assessment (LMA). Proving no task was too difecult for the everts in Fiscal and Food management, they received an overall grade of outstanding. The LMA might have been over on the lofi, but the inspections wanted to see more, so Commder Naval Base San Diego conducted a swprise disbursing audit in which the HARPERS FERRY Disbursing Office scored again, an overall outstanding. These two mspeetions combined with a lot of hard and precise work throughout the year that led to the Supply Department being awarded her fourth successive Wlue 'E"' for Logistics Management. Nearly simultaneously with the myriad of topside assessments and reviews taking place, the quiet steamers in the main spaces were preparing their own materiel for review. Completely successhl ia their objectives, on 27 and 28 April 98, the Harpers Ferry Engineering Department earned its Engineering Certification. This two-day evolution certifjhg the ship "safe to steam" tested the engineers through every wicket of combat mobility and every aspect of casualty control. In early May the ship entered TSTA and once again rose to the occasion to display her warfighting prowess earning and overall grade of satisfactory for the availability. With the successful completion of TSTA II the Ship entered into the Final Evaluation Phase (FEP), where the crew displayed with pride all it had learned in the last year for the iaspectors and assessors to see. They performed markedly well during the Final Evaluation Phase with all mission areas of the ship qualifiring at the FEP level. ARer all the initial assessments of combat capability were determined and the crew was certified ready, the HARPERS FERRY embarked Commander Destroyer
Squadron One staff for execution of Combined Training Underway Exercise 98-14 (COMF'WEX 98-14). In company with five other ships, the crew steamed north conducting multi-ship exercises while en route to Portland, Oregon. After a four-day transit along the West Coast then down the Colt~mbia and Willamette Rivers, the ship hosted the festivities for the city of Portland at the 1998 Portland Rose Festival. While moored in downtown Portland the ship hosted over 5,000 guest tours allowing the crew to show off the West Coast premier amphibious dock landing ship. Upon the shtp's return &om the Portland Rose Festival the crew continued preparations for Rim of the Pacific Exercise '98 (RIMPAC '98). Embarking elements of the 13' Marine Expeditionary Unit; Echo Company Battalion Landing Team 211; 3" AAV Division; a crew fiom Assault Craft Unit Five (LCAC 59); and CORTRAMID Midshipmen fiom the US Naval Academy, the ship departed San Diego on 13 July for the month long multinational exercise condttcted in the waters off the Hawaiian Islands. In company with USS Boxer and USS Cleveland, the exercise finale was USS Harpers Ferry drkkg the Line of Departure and conducting a &ll scale "Charlie-on-Time" Amphibious landing on the beach of Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands K;tuai. Mer the amphibious phase of the exercise was complete the crew of the Harpers Ferry enjoyed Hawaii for two days of well-deserved liberty. Not home yet, the Harpers Ferry was directed by her ISIC, Amphibious Croup Three, to eonduct a precise LCAC launch, abeam Broadway pier in San Diego Harbor, commemorating San Diego Fleet Week 1998. Upon return fim RIMPAE: '98 with only one additional month of at sea exercises with the embarked USMC personnel remaining, the crew prepared themselves
for the final stages of work-ups and certification prior to deployment. In Mid November, the crew began ha1 Preparations for Oversea Movement (POM). Balancing the workload and quality of life family time, they enjoyed some final days at home prior to the impending December 5& deployment. Still setting the pace for the Pacific, demonstrating the steady strain approach to material management, the crew achieved yet another milestone deploying 5 December 1998, Casualty Report (CASREP) fiee. While en route to the preplamed USMC sustainment training off Kaneohe Bay Hawaii, weather conditions deteriorated not permitting a surface offload. Fodmnately, the crew received an unexpected port visit to Pearl Harbor to debark the Marines for ground training. While the Marines trained the crew was able to slip away for a few days of rest and relaxation before the ship continued rn deployment scheduled to take her to the West Coast of Africa and the Arabian Gulf Having completed a successfbl transit ofthe Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, The productive year of 1998 ended for the HARPERS FERRY while the ship was anchored just a few miles fiom Fenwick pier; in Hong Kong Harbor. The crew rang out the old year and in the new, while on liberty in Hong Kong and Kowloon, China.